Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
@upine.bsky.social
Analysis of effects of disinfo on social systems, writer http://Medium.com/@upine "All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do bothsidesism."
Pinned
How People Try to Solve Problems in a Libertarian Culture
There once was a land without environmental regulations. So various companies routinely poisoned the air, the water and the land. Everyone…
upine.medium.com
Right Wing Domination of Media & Politics Keeps Us Stuck in Disinformation and Right Wing Government
(I found a better named for this article later, after I first wrote it, and so I retitled it, which is why the title now comes out wrong when I type in the url.)
upine.medium.com/how-people-t...
(I found a better named for this article later, after I first wrote it, and so I retitled it, which is why the title now comes out wrong when I type in the url.)
upine.medium.com/how-people-t...
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
To Republicans, blatant lying is just another campaign tactic, like putting up a yard sign.
Housing director Bill Pulte lies his ass off: "The cost of a new home is in some cases 20%, 30% lower than it was under Biden ... President Trump was crushed inflation."
September 18, 2026 at 2:27 PM
To Republicans, blatant lying is just another campaign tactic, like putting up a yard sign.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
The R’s don’t get to have it both ways. The R caucus in the House isn’t doing a damn thing to contain Trump. In fact they’re taking recess to avoid even considering it. Vote them all out. They don’t get to say one thing in their ads & then go back & do nothing. I hope Salazar’s opponent is on this.
September 18, 2026 at 2:34 PM
The R’s don’t get to have it both ways. The R caucus in the House isn’t doing a damn thing to contain Trump. In fact they’re taking recess to avoid even considering it. Vote them all out. They don’t get to say one thing in their ads & then go back & do nothing. I hope Salazar’s opponent is on this.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
Something weirdly not noted in a lot of the coverage of the extortionate threats to murder the Kennedy Center unless it’s reimagined as a shrine to Trump: There was no dire fiscal crisis until Trump’s goombahs started mucking with it. Its finances were fine. projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/o...
John F Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica
Since 2013, the IRS has released data culled from millions of nonprofit tax filings. Use this database to find organizations and see details like their executive compensation, revenue and expenses, as...
projects.propublica.org
September 15, 2026 at 6:41 AM
Something weirdly not noted in a lot of the coverage of the extortionate threats to murder the Kennedy Center unless it’s reimagined as a shrine to Trump: There was no dire fiscal crisis until Trump’s goombahs started mucking with it. Its finances were fine. projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/o...
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
Mike Johnson tried to claim this was one of the most productive Congresses ever. Then a brutal fact check appeared right beneath his post for all to see.
Community Note Slaps Down Mike Johnson’s ‘Delivered’ Claim
Fact check: “The 119th congress was the least productive in history.”
meidasnews.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Mike Johnson tried to claim this was one of the most productive Congresses ever. Then a brutal fact check appeared right beneath his post for all to see.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
i'm not over Alito saying we shouldn't count ballots that are mailed on or before Election Day but arrive shortly afterwards bc they can “radically flip” the “apparent outcome”
cannot stress enough that, until all ballots are counted, there's no outcome to flip!
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/alito...
cannot stress enough that, until all ballots are counted, there's no outcome to flip!
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/alito...
A Brief History of Sam Alito’s Delusional Obsession With Voter Fraud
His conduct in several recent cases suggests that Alito is deep in the right-wing conspiracy theory weeds.
ballsandstrikes.org
September 18, 2026 at 1:45 PM
i'm not over Alito saying we shouldn't count ballots that are mailed on or before Election Day but arrive shortly afterwards bc they can “radically flip” the “apparent outcome”
cannot stress enough that, until all ballots are counted, there's no outcome to flip!
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/alito...
cannot stress enough that, until all ballots are counted, there's no outcome to flip!
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/alito...
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
American, United, Southwest scale back schedules as fuel shock reshapes flying
American, United, Southwest scale back schedules as fuel shock reshapes flying
American Airlines , United Airlines and Southwest Airlines are scaling back planned flight schedules following a recent surge in fuel prices that threatens their profits, executives said Wednesday.
www.reuters.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:35 PM
American, United, Southwest scale back schedules as fuel shock reshapes flying
Sarcasm
Better yet, let’s get a crack team of neuropsychiatrists and psychopharmacologists to look at the condensation in his brain
RFK Jr: "We are also looking at chemtrails"
September 18, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Sarcasm
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
The coalition contends that the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement operations have created an atmosphere of intimidation around voting.
They are asking the court to bar it from “from deploying agents in a manner that unlawfully intimidates voters or anyone urging or aiding voters.”
They are asking the court to bar it from “from deploying agents in a manner that unlawfully intimidates voters or anyone urging or aiding voters.”
Pro-voting groups sue to prevent Trump admin from sending federal agents to intimidate voters
The administration's "conduct has transformed voting and voting-related activities—ordinary acts of civic participation—into sources of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear," plaintiffs say.
www.democracydocket.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:35 PM
The coalition contends that the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement operations have created an atmosphere of intimidation around voting.
They are asking the court to bar it from “from deploying agents in a manner that unlawfully intimidates voters or anyone urging or aiding voters.”
They are asking the court to bar it from “from deploying agents in a manner that unlawfully intimidates voters or anyone urging or aiding voters.”
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
BREAKING: Pro-voting groups sued to block the Trump administration from sending law enforcement to polling places for the midterms.
The lawsuit comes after FBI Director Kash Patel claimed recently that his agency has the authority to deploy agents to the polls.
The lawsuit comes after FBI Director Kash Patel claimed recently that his agency has the authority to deploy agents to the polls.
September 18, 2026 at 2:30 PM
BREAKING: Pro-voting groups sued to block the Trump administration from sending law enforcement to polling places for the midterms.
The lawsuit comes after FBI Director Kash Patel claimed recently that his agency has the authority to deploy agents to the polls.
The lawsuit comes after FBI Director Kash Patel claimed recently that his agency has the authority to deploy agents to the polls.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
If Donald Trump were some Hiroo Onoda–style holdout from the old Soviet Union, carrying out a decades-long communist plot to destroy America, it’s hard to imagine what he’d be doing differently from what he’s doing every day. prospect.org?p=144887
September 18, 2026 at 9:50 AM
If Donald Trump were some Hiroo Onoda–style holdout from the old Soviet Union, carrying out a decades-long communist plot to destroy America, it’s hard to imagine what he’d be doing differently from what he’s doing every day. prospect.org?p=144887
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
Sometime in mid 2023 there was a vibe shift and people started to view Trump as inevitable. His election in 2024, subsequent regime change and elite capitulation in 2025 amplified this sense. But oh buddy, it feels like the whole national mood reversed over the past couple of months.
September 18, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Sometime in mid 2023 there was a vibe shift and people started to view Trump as inevitable. His election in 2024, subsequent regime change and elite capitulation in 2025 amplified this sense. But oh buddy, it feels like the whole national mood reversed over the past couple of months.
Sarcasm
This is an easy lie to get away with as most homeowners don't know how much they paid for their home.
Housing director Bill Pulte lies his ass off: "The cost of a new home is in some cases 20%, 30% lower than it was under Biden ... President Trump was crushed inflation."
September 18, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Sarcasm
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
🚨BREAKING: A group of pro-voting and civil rights organizations is asking a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from using federal law enforcement to intimidate voters during the midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Pro-voting groups sue to prevent Trump admin from sending federal agents to intimidate voters
The administration's "conduct has transformed voting and voting-related activities—ordinary acts of civic participation—into sources of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear," plaintiffs say.
www.democracydocket.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:32 PM
🚨BREAKING: A group of pro-voting and civil rights organizations is asking a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from using federal law enforcement to intimidate voters during the midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
He fucked it up so badly they had to explain it with crayons.
September 18, 2026 at 1:36 PM
He fucked it up so badly they had to explain it with crayons.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
Can I get as much vacation time as Congress? Please?
If I was elected to do a job for others…and I was away from my job as much as they are, I would be too embarrassed to leave my house. Seriously.
If I was elected to do a job for others…and I was away from my job as much as they are, I would be too embarrassed to leave my house. Seriously.
September 18, 2026 at 1:22 PM
Can I get as much vacation time as Congress? Please?
If I was elected to do a job for others…and I was away from my job as much as they are, I would be too embarrassed to leave my house. Seriously.
If I was elected to do a job for others…and I was away from my job as much as they are, I would be too embarrassed to leave my house. Seriously.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
I’m proud to have @hrc.org standing with us in this race. LGBTQ+ Michiganders deserve leaders who will have their backs when it matters most, not just when it’s politically convenient.
Michiganders deserve a champion who has a history of fighting for equal rights for everyone.
That’s why we’re proud to endorse abdulelsayed.bsky.social, who has:
That’s why we’re proud to endorse abdulelsayed.bsky.social, who has:
September 18, 2026 at 1:19 PM
I’m proud to have @hrc.org standing with us in this race. LGBTQ+ Michiganders deserve leaders who will have their backs when it matters most, not just when it’s politically convenient.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
I told my family members on Thanksgiving 2024 that I won’t speak to them until they apologize for voting Trump. It’s actually really nice to dump the tradition of wasting the holiday on family members whose views on the world are repulsive and always have been.
September 18, 2026 at 2:01 PM
I told my family members on Thanksgiving 2024 that I won’t speak to them until they apologize for voting Trump. It’s actually really nice to dump the tradition of wasting the holiday on family members whose views on the world are repulsive and always have been.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
It's wild the things we talk about these days. Trump got mad and was about to tear down the Kennedy Center
Dispensing with the need for an emergency hearing, U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper quickly moved to prevent President Trump from demolishing the Kennedy Center—but left unresolved for now this week’s closure of the building and its ultimate fate.
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo...
Kennedy Center Saved From Demolition—For Now
JFK Memorial Remains Closed Dispensing with the need for an emergency hearing,...
talkingpointsmemo.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:40 PM
It's wild the things we talk about these days. Trump got mad and was about to tear down the Kennedy Center
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
Democracy just might survive Trump. But it’s looking more and more like capitalism might not. trib.al/vkvIGVq
Democracy May Survive Trump, but It Looks Like Capitalism Might Not
The “businessman” with “private sector” experience is exactly the person who might bring not only the American but the global economy to its knees.
trib.al
September 18, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Democracy just might survive Trump. But it’s looking more and more like capitalism might not. trib.al/vkvIGVq
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
Someday everyone will have been against this.
Not applauding Rogan at all, but just laughing at the rats jumping off the sinking ship. 🪤🐀
www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-ro...
Not applauding Rogan at all, but just laughing at the rats jumping off the sinking ship. 🪤🐀
www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-ro...
Joe Rogan Calls Trump Fans 'F**king Nuts' And Says He's Been 'Left-Wing My Whole Life'
The podcaster disputed people’s perception of him in an eye-opening podcast.
www.huffpost.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Someday everyone will have been against this.
Not applauding Rogan at all, but just laughing at the rats jumping off the sinking ship. 🪤🐀
www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-ro...
Not applauding Rogan at all, but just laughing at the rats jumping off the sinking ship. 🪤🐀
www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-ro...
Right Wing Domination of Media & Politics Keeps Us Stuck in Disinformation and Right Wing Government
(I found a better named for this article later, after I first wrote it, and so I retitled it, which is why the title now comes out wrong when I type in the url.)
upine.medium.com/how-people-t...
(I found a better named for this article later, after I first wrote it, and so I retitled it, which is why the title now comes out wrong when I type in the url.)
upine.medium.com/how-people-t...
How People Try to Solve Problems in a Libertarian Culture
There once was a land without environmental regulations. So various companies routinely poisoned the air, the water and the land. Everyone…
upine.medium.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
RFK Jr. wants people to get sick. He wants them to get sick and he thinks it is a good thing if they die, since those who live will have "natural immunity" and emerge stronger and fitter.
“On Thursday, Mr. Gorton said that “the success of the polio vaccine was a massive medical fraud” and that widespread vaccination was a “public health disaster.” He received a standing ovation…
Mr. Kennedy spoke next, linking arms with the group even as measles cases continue to rise”
Mr. Kennedy spoke next, linking arms with the group even as measles cases continue to rise”
RFK Jr. Assures Vaccine Skeptics They Have a ‘Friend at the White House’
The health secretary spoke at a conference featuring misinformation about vaccines, including a claim that the success of the polio vaccines was a “fraud.”
www.nytimes.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:37 PM
RFK Jr. wants people to get sick. He wants them to get sick and he thinks it is a good thing if they die, since those who live will have "natural immunity" and emerge stronger and fitter.
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
I really enjoyed this conversation.
@jpygold.bsky.social opened it by asking me: When and why did you start thinking about race and gender - meaning: when did you recognize and start grappling in earnest with race and gender as the central organizing principles of society?
@jpygold.bsky.social opened it by asking me: When and why did you start thinking about race and gender - meaning: when did you recognize and start grappling in earnest with race and gender as the central organizing principles of society?
German historian @thomaszimmer.bsky.social joined #RaceClass podcast for a deep dive into the transatlantic bromance that binds AfD & Trump’s GOP. Plus a reminder that today’s rtwing extremism comes from deep insecurity and weakness.
on.soundcloud.com/7ez12VKTJ2B2...
on.soundcloud.com/7ez12VKTJ2B2...
Ep. 70 | Thomas Zimmer On The Links that Bind AfD & Today's Republican Party
German historian Thomas Zimmer joins the #RaceClass Podcast for a deep dive into AfD (Germany's neo-Nazi party), the links that bind AfD and MAGA, and what looking to Germany can teach us about the Un
soundcloud.com
September 18, 2026 at 1:30 PM
I really enjoyed this conversation.
@jpygold.bsky.social opened it by asking me: When and why did you start thinking about race and gender - meaning: when did you recognize and start grappling in earnest with race and gender as the central organizing principles of society?
@jpygold.bsky.social opened it by asking me: When and why did you start thinking about race and gender - meaning: when did you recognize and start grappling in earnest with race and gender as the central organizing principles of society?
Reposted by Julie Hotard Ph.D., writer, effects of disinfo on social systems
honestly some of the most apocalyptic impacts of "AI" will be shit like this, and most of the doomsday dipshits predicting SkyNet can't be bothered to notice or care
September 18, 2026 at 1:30 PM
honestly some of the most apocalyptic impacts of "AI" will be shit like this, and most of the doomsday dipshits predicting SkyNet can't be bothered to notice or care